I grunt as the bullet rips through my shoulder, tearing through the skin, muscle and cartilage, and I’m pretty fucking sure it hit bone. I might have overplayed my hand a little. I needed to get his attention though. Now I need to rein him in enough to get Toi to Max. I need her safe. I don’t give a fuck what happens after that.

“That’s for trying to lie to me, Kincaid. I know who tried to kill me. I tortured him for over a year.”

“What did you do, have him look at your face?”

That wasn’t exactly reining it in. I’m angry because there’s no scenario I come out of this and that’s a sad realization for a man who suddenly has everything to live for. If I could I’d dice this motherfucker up. I’ve got a weapon—the asshole didn’t ask for it yet—but I don’t dare risk it with Toi where she’s at right now. Alvaro doesn’t like my taunting, though, and I know that by the way he shoots me again, this time just a hair lower than the prior shot.

“Motherfucker!” I growl out, even though I wish to fuck I could have kept silent. That one was more painful though. There’s instantly more blood too, so I have to wonder if he hit an artery. I need to be smarter and get Toi safe before I let him finish me.

“Marcum!” Toi screams and I hear Max cursing in the background. He’s itching to kill the motherfucker, but he knows as well as I do, he tries anything and Toi will probably die. I can’t let that happen. She needs to live on.

“I grow tired of you,” Alvaro growls.

“The man you killed only took the job. It was offered to me first, and I turned it down. I can give you the man who ordered it all.”

“Then tell me.”

“I’ll tell you what I know, for a price.”

“Have you looked around you, Kincaid? I have the girl. My men have me protected and your men all have guns pointed at them. Why would I pay you anything? Besides, where you are going, you won’t take anything with you.”

“My men have your men surrounded. Maxwell over there was a sniper. They’re not shooting for one simple reason—they know I don’t want them to. You want out of this still breathing, Alvaro, you’ll give me what I want.”

“What is that?”

“An exchange.”

“Of what?”

“You let Toi go to my boy and I’ll tell you everything.”

“Let my bounty go? Not hardly.”

“Then you can have me instead,” I tell him.

“Marcum! No!” Toi yells, her voice raw with tears.

“I already have you. Perhaps you’ve failed to notice.”

“Agree to my deal and I’ll make sure my men know to let you go—unharmed.”

“Interesting. You sacrifice yourself for the woman?”

“In a heartbeat,” I answer without pause.

“No….” Toi cries again, the sound tortured as if it’s being ripped from her. I have to force myself not to look at her. I can’t do this if I see her.

“Let me get this straight. I let Toi go, you tell me what I want and then I can do whatever I want with you? Then, I leave and there’s not a damn thing your men will do to me.”

“That easy.”

“What’s to stop them from attacking once I no longer have Toi? Perhaps you think I am stupid.”

“I told you—”

“You should stop wasting your breath. From the looks of you, you don’t have much left.”

“Here’s how this is going to go. I will let Drummond hold Toi, ten feet away as a show of good faith. You will kneel at my feet and tell me what I want. I’ll let Toi go when I’m satisfied and there’s a bullet in the back of your head.”

“What’s to keep you from keeping Toi?”

“Nothing, but then you’ll be dead. It will no longer be your concern.”

“One of my men stands with yours. I want someone close to Toi.”

“Very well.”

“Ride.”

“Here, man.”

“You’re in charge of the club now. Pick a man to protect my woman.”

“Marcum, please, don’t do this. Oh God, please don’t do this. I’ll go with you, Alvaro. I’ll go, just please stop this,” Toi is crying, her voice so raw and thick with tears. I’ve still not looked at her.

I can’t.

“Damn it, Marcum. This is suicide you’re wanting me to help with,” Ride growls.

“Pick someone. Don’t have a lot of time,” I tell him, and I mean that literally. I’m feeling dizzy as fuck. I’m bleeding out. It won’t be long before all this is academic. I’ve been close to death before. A man pulled out in front of me in a truck and I piled up my bike on my way back from Miami. I felt death coming for me then, and I feel it now. I have to fight it back. I need Toi safe.

“Ghost,” Ride says and his choice cuts me to the fucking bone. I hate it. It’s who I would have picked. He’ll protect Toi until he dies, I just couldn’t bring myself to name him. It’s one thing to die for Toi, I have no regrets doing that, but giving her to Ghost… That slices me raw.

Ghost walks down to me and takes the bandana from his head, wrapping it around my arm, pulling it so tight.

“This is not going to matter,” I tell him, but I’m hoping it does buy me a little more time before Alvaro finishes the job.

“Miracles can happen. Once I have Toi, Max will shoot the son of a bitch,” he says, but we both know by the time he can get Toi safe, it will be too late.

“Take care of her. I need her happy and living free. I need to know she gets that.”

Ghost stares me down for a minute and nods his head.

“Enough with the talking,” Alvaro interrupts. “I’m growing weary.”

“I was wrong, Marcum. You are the best man for Toi,” Ghost says as he walks away, but it doesn’t matter now.

Nothing does except that Toi is safe.